AFP-Kansas statement on Gov. Brownback's State of the State address and proposed budget

January 13, 2011

TOPEKA, KAN. – The Kansas chapter of the grassroots group Americans for Prosperity released the following statement in response to the State of the State address and the budget proposed by Gov. Brownback:

“It is refreshing to hear a Governor acknowledge that in order for our state to be prosperous we must achieve economic growth and freedom for all Kansans,” said AFP-Kansas state director Derrick Sontag. “But just as importantly, the Governor understands this can only be done through the private sector, not the public sector. His statement that ‘the days of big government are over’ resonates with AFP and its mission.

“The elimination of more than 2,000 unfilled state government jobs is significant. The growth of public sector jobs over the years has far exceeded that of the private sector. This has dramatically increased the cost of government on Kansas families and businesses.

“It should be noted the Governor identifies key budget components that must be addressed through serious reform efforts; most notably Medicaid, KPERS and school finance. These reform measures must occur sooner rather than later because the longer we wait to address them, the deeper the budget hole becomes.

“With all of the positive aspects to this budget proposal and the proper identification of the true nature of our state finances, we are disappointed in sweeping funds because it results in a budget not structurally balanced. We hope the Governor does not continue to propose such maneuvers in the future.

“AFP looks forward to working with the Governor and sharing ideas that we’ve advocated since our organization’s inception. There are issues which should have been solved years ago and we must avoid any further delay that will only cause our budget problems to escalate.”

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